Page 53 of Hunter
“Like you?” His thumb digs into my tailbone, and it sends a shiver up my spine.
“Give me my phone, and then you won’t have to deal with me anymore. Problem solved.”
“You and me don’t work like that, you stubborn little shit. All I wanna do is deal with you. And you want me too, I can tell.” He sounds so sure of himself, and I can hear the patience in his voice. Like, he doesn’t mind telling me over and over again how he feels.
“What makes you think that?”
“You’re letting me touch you.” His hands slide up my back as his magic fingers knead into my sore muscles. “You’re letting me be here with you.” He applies more pressure, and it feels so good that I close my eyes. “And when your body starts to relaxlike this, I know that you’re starting to trust me.” I hate that he’s right.Pinche, cabrón.
“I’ll give you your phone under one condition.”
“What’s that?”
“You’re gonna take today off with me, consider it a vacation day.”
“I don’t get vacations or days off to fuck around, Hunter.” The reality of how different our worlds are crashes into me, and it literally feels like an airbag deployed in my face. He’ll never understand where I came from, what my life is now, and why I can’t miss a fucking day if I want to have a future.
I push off his lap to try to get off of him, but his hands hold down my hips. I squirm to try to get out of his hold, but he’s not letting me break free.
“Well, now you do. Cancel whatever it is you had planned.” His hands travel up my back, and he squeezes my shoulders. “This is all that’s on the agenda for today.”
“This might be the way you can spend your days, but I can’t. I don’t get a day off.” He lets me go this time and pulls my phone from his pocket.
“Then what are we doing first? Wanna grab breakfast?” He hands me my phone, and I nearly have a fucking heart attack when I turn on my screen.¡Chinga tu madre! Half the fucking day is gone!
“It’s fucking 12:34 PM! You missed breakfast when you shut off my fucking alarm! And I missed all of my morning classes. I have less than a fucking hour before my next tutoring slot.”
“Quick! Make a wish.”
“¿Qué?A wish? That’s what you’re worried about? Don’t you have hockey drills, or layups, or something? A class that you need to go to?” I question him while digging in my bag for my deodorant. I really need to fucking shower, and I’m pissed that Imissed my chance. Now I’ll have to wait until later on tonight. I doubt he’s ever had to schedule a fucking shower.
“Make a wish because it’s good luck. And it’s hockey practice, and no, today’s a rest day, and I don’t have classes on Friday. ”
“I told you, I don’t believe in luck. I need to go. Enjoy your day off.”
“I’m coming with you,” he says while I dig through my bag. “Leave that here, Alvi won’t care, just take what you need.”
“I need all of it. I want to shower today, and if I can do laundry, I will.”
“Come to the house with me, you can use my shower, and we have washing machines in the basement. I’ll throw a load in for you. I can make us egg sandwiches for lunch.” He’s not helping; he’s treating me like a problem that he’s trying to solve, and every suggestion is just another reason why this is dumb. Us kissing, him staying with me here, whatever feelings that I have for him, it’s all fucking stupid. I’m poor and homeless; he’s a star athlete with endless opportunities.Maybe I really was hallucinating.
“Stop trying to fix all of my shit!” I’m hungry, smelly, and oversensitive. It’s like he can see the parts of me that I’m constantly trying to hide from everyone. “It’s not your job to take care of me!” I feel fucking defensive. Like I need to protect him from all the ugliness of my world and guard myself from his efforts to make it better for me.
He’s frowning while his chest heaves with each breath. His hands are fisted, and he looks like he’s on the front lines of a battle that he refuses to lose.
“I’m better off on my own, and you’re better off not having to worry about my problems.” The edge to my voice drops, and all that’s left is the fucking truth.
“No,” he says with a harsh hurt in his tone as he stalks toward me from his side of the room. He looks angry and upset. It’sexactly how I feel. I’m pissed that this is the reality and irritated that everything is always so fucking hard for me. He reaches me in two steps and grabs me by the waist before hoisting me up so that I’m now sitting on the ledge of tattoo guy's desk.
“Let’s get one thing straight, Ed. I want to take care of you.” I can hear the distress in his voice as he emphasizes the word 'want.' He looks like he believes everything he’s saying and that he wants me to believe him, too.
His hands wrap around my face, and he tilts me toward him. “It’s an honor and a fucking privilege.” He bends his head to kiss my forehead just below my hat. I feel my heart explode, and the impact of his words obliterates my doubts. “It’s not some fucking job,” he says as if the word ‘job’ is sour on his tongue.
“I’m gonna tell you this again, and I’ll keep saying it until it sinks into your pretty little head. I’m not going anywhere, and neither are you. So go ahead, keep trying to push me away. It’s not gonna work. I’m gonna keep showing up for you and being what you need because I’m falling for you, and I’m bringing you with me. Okay?” He gently kisses my lips and seals my fate. “So get the shit that you need for today. I’m taking you to get some fucking food, you’re hangry as hell.”
“You’re not scared? You sound so sure.”
“Ed, you scare the shit outta me. But I’ve never been so sure of anything in my fucking life than I am when it comes to you, little demon.”
